The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) will hold an open house and public meeting on Feb. 20 on the draft Permit to Operate (PTO) and draft Permit to Install (PTI) for Phat Chix Poultry, LLC. The open house will be held from 6:30 to 7 p.m. followed by
the public meeting at the Navarre Civic Center at 99 Canal Street W., Navarre, Ohio.

The department will provide an opportunity for recording public comments concerning the draft permits. Oral comments can be made in person and on the record at the public meeting. Written comments must be received by ODA no later than 5 p.m. on Feb.
27. Comments must be delivered or mailed to ODA Division of Livestock Environmental Permitting (DLEP), 8995 East Main Street, Reynoldsburg, OH 43068. Comments received after Feb. 27 will not be considered by the Director before making a
determination on the permit.

The draft permits can be reviewed and/or copies made at the Division of Livestock Environmental Permitting (DLEP) office at: A.B. Graham Building, 8995 East Main Street, Reynoldsburg, Ohio 43068 or the Stark County Soil and Water Conservation District
office at 2650 Richville Drive SE, Suite 100, Massillon, Ohio 44646.

Phat Chix Poultry proposes a poultry farm that would be located at their existing dairy farm located at 6260 Hudson Drive SW, Navarre, Ohio 44662. It would be owned by the Craig E. Fortner Revocable Trust and operated by Phat Chix Poultry, LLC. The
facility is situated in Stark County, in Bethlehem Township, which is in the Tuscarawas River watershed.

The draft Permit to Install (PTI) proposes to construct three poultry barns, each with a design capacity of 55,000 birds.

The draft PTO includes plans to manage manure nutrients, prevent and control insect and rodent problems, handle emergency situations, and properly dispose of mortality losses. The PTO also includes an Operating Record that provides the forms and
information that must be maintained by the facility to comply with ODA rules and the permit.

The Division of Livestock Environmental Permitting maintains an "interested parties" list for each Ohio County and well as a statewide list for notification of all draft permits. If you would like to be added to either or both of these lists, please send a request to
lepp@agri.ohio.gov or call 614-387-0470.